Lawretta Ogrih Creating a Safe Haven for Widows and Children

Positively impacting on the welfare of the less privileged, widows and the elderly in the society is Dr Lawrewtta Ogrih Founder and Director of Ivory Whetstones and Mentors Foundation (Publishers of SEE INSPIRATION MAGAZINE), a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), with a vision to making a difference in the lives of people within and outside her community. Working under the umbrella of the foundation which has been in existence for over a decade now, Ogrih is so engrossed and determined to ensure that the welfare of people, particularly women and children in her immediate environ are given adequate attention through her individual efforts. To this end, come April 30th 2017, the foundation will be hosting its first charity comedy concert show titled THE R.E.D. MOMENT ( RESTORING EVERYTHING DAMAGED). Set to hold at the SEE Events Centre in Lekki – Ajah, the event will feature top Nigerian comedians and the party machine (DJ Bobby) in order to raise funds to restore hope to and empower 50 (Fifty) women in need.

Story behind Ivory Whetstones and Mentors Foundation.

It is an initiative with the vision to see potentials, good works and give back initiatives stirred up in women, children and all, as we all together make a meaningful difference in our world .
It is something I imbibed from my childhood days, while living with my parents. I saw my parents enjoyed giving and I learnt over the years spiritually, that giving is a covenant. Give and it shall be given unto you. So basically, my upbringing, my teachings, what I have learnt from being a child of God and also my passion. From my first degree in Biochemistry to my masters in environment I found myself tilting towards corporate social responsibility. Anywhere I am, I want people to come together and do something positive, for instance I see someone whose house got burnt and I want people to contribute to help. It’s just a passion I have.

Achievements of the Foundation over the years

We have over the years, offered support to those in need in form of scholarships, free school supplies, empowerment for women and children, skill – acquisition workshops and through various donations. We have the Lunch hour 3600 Seconds of worship and inspirations for business executives, the skills for enterprise and effectiveness (S.E.E) business seminars and workshops, the relationship-focused ‘save our souls’ event, the Inspire the world event, Free a soul event, Touch a child give-back event and a whole lot of others that we are involved in.

SEE Inspiration Magazine as an extension of the foundation

Yes, I love to reach out to people and SEE inspirations magazine is one of the ways I do that. The magazine uses true life turning point salvation, healing, deliverance, freedom, relationship and success stories in inspiring hope and strengthening faith amongst readers. And because I like convening inspirational and life-changing events, hence she saw the need to set up and oversee the SEE Events centre, lekki, a purpose-built one-stop state-of-the-art events’ facility, where some of our life-changing events are held.

Objective behind SEE Magazine

it is an expression of information, we have stories that give people hope, strengthen people’s faith, or connect people. You know testimonies have a way of connecting people with the one who makes testimony happens. So that’s just it. Like somebody’s story can actually inspired me to believe that the same God who did it for them can do mine.

The Red Moment Concert?

The Red Moment(Restoring Everything Damaged) fundraising charity comedy is a show for empowering Women in need.
We decided to fix it for Sunday April 30th close to workers day celebration, at SEE Centre (Leawood Hotel) because we feel it is a better way to say well-done to yourself or to appreciate your devoted employees, people who have selflessly served you, your organisation, association or ministry, at the same time, this same ticket serves to restore hope to that woman in need.
It’s an avenue for people to come and laugh and dance with Kofi, Owen gee, Lepacious Bose, Cee y, De oracle, DVD, Eboh Bomb, Aboki and the party machine Dj Bobby. Of the sound city FM. It’s a charity focused on getting people involved in empowering women. Fifty women are going to be empowered from the proceeds, these women going to be empowered with skills, life skills, business skills, something that can also help them reach out to their children, so that they will not constitute a menace of the society tomorrow.,

After the empowerment programme, is there a follow-up pattern in place?

We train them for a week on a particular skill and then mentorship. We mentor them, we see them, we follow-up on them, so that we can see that they are applying the skills and getting better

Funding the Foundation

It’s basically an individual effort, but we have support from dime individuals. Also I have a lot of businesses that I manage and I support from the proceeds.

Dream for the Nigerian woman

To be everything God created her to be. To live a balanced life, contributing meaningfully to society and the world, but not forgetting the home front. I believe there are women who can contribute politically and they should be given a chance and not hedge out. Unfortunately in this part of the world, it’s a man’s world, but it shouldn’t be because we have intelligent women, with a large heart for the nation that can do more.